An independent review into cancer referral mismanagement at the NHS Trust in charge of Watford General has raised "a number of serious points", Watford MP Richard Harrington has said.

The report, released yesterday, shed light on several administrative failings at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust after it was discovered patients who did not attend their first cancer appointments were not offered a second, as required by national health service guidelines.

It highlighted a lack of "failsafe system" for keeping track of cancer referral patients - pointing to the trust's use of faxes rather than an electronic appointment booking system.

Mr Harrington said: "This historical problem was picked up as the new management at the Trust began re-training staff.

"Since then an enormous amount of work has gone in to ensuring that there is absolutely no way this can happen again, with funding to replace IT systems, re-training of administrative and clerical staff, and also change of management and staff structure.

"There are a number of very serious points that the review makes which I will continue to work with the Trust on, for example I have written today to the Trust Development Authority and Monitor about how we can improve data quality assurance and will report back on this accordingly."

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